Wall-board tack or staple



Sept. 2, 1930. w. H, BOOTH 1.774;, 867

- WALL BOARD TACK OR STAPLE Filed April 12, 1928 Patented Sept. 2 1930 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM HENRY BOOTH, OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA WALL-BOARD TACK OR STAPLE Application filed April 12,

This invention relates to improvements in wall board tacks or staples.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved staple, preferably formed of steel, having a plurality of prongs adaptable for holding adjacent panels of wall board upon the walls of a building;

the improved nail being of a three-pronged construction so that upon application it will secure the pane-ls of wall board to the wall construction in an eflicient manner, which will materially cut the expense of labor and materials, over present devices.

-Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during-the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved staple.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved staple.

Figure 3 is a view showing the parts of the staple during formatlon.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the staple, showing its application in a wall, for holding panels of wall board thereto. Y

Figure 5 is a plan view of the staple, showing the relation in which it holds panels of wall board upon a wall.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 4.

'Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken through the main shank of the staple.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved staple, which is adapted for connecting panels of wall board B and C, on a wall D.

The usual method of attaching the panels of wall board upon a wall is to separately tack the-wall board panels along the joints, and this is rather tedious, and requires con siderable time in doing.

, My improved nailor staple A has been specifically designed, and is most desirable for use in connection with the attachment of Wall 1928. Serial No. 269,563

- is constructed by a novel method. I preferably take two strips 10 and 11, of metal suit able for forming the staple,'such as wrought iron, steel, or the like; In cross section, each of these strips is substantially of segmental formation, forming substantially half a cylinder. As an initial step in the formation of the tack or staple, I preferably bend each of the strips 10 and 11, at 12, so as to define a relatively long straight portion 14 for each of the pieces 10 and 11,as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, at the upper end of which cross pieces or heads 15 are formed inangular relation therewith, slightly less than 90 with respect to the respective body on which attached. a At the outer end of each of the heads or cross-pieces 15, it is preferred to bend, at 16, the material of the, pieces 10and 11, so as to provide minor attaching shanks 17, the free ends of which are tapered at 18, with chisel edges in the plane of the staple.

It is now noted that each of the staple parts 10 and 11 have been bent into substantially an inverted J-shaped relation, with --thefacing surfaces convex, and with the outer sur- 4 faces flattened or plane. In this arrangement of parts the free end of the shank portions 14 are now welded or secured together at 20, and adjacent the bends 12, at the top of the portions 14,-the staple parts 10 and 11 are spot'welded or otherwise secured at 21, shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. It is thus seen that the portions 14 of the pieces 10 and 11 are 'complementary,and when thus assembled provide a substantially solid cylindrical shaped shank 22, which is considerably longer than either of the minor attaching shanks 17 Inasmuch as the head portions 15 ofthe staple parts 10 and 11 are bent at an angle of less than 90 with respect to their respective shank parts, it is to be noted that the staple, immediately at the top of the shank 22, presents the highest point on the shank. and from which the heads 15 slope at opposite sides of the shanks 22, at an angle of less than 90 with respect thereto. It is really preferred that the head of the thus J-shaped staple be slightly convexed or areuated, so that the force of the hammer will" initially be placed directly over the shank 22, in order to drive the staple into the wall without liability of displacing the position of the minor attaching shanks 17 from their parallelism with respect to each other, and with respect to the axis of the shank 22.

The application of the staple will be obvious from theforegoing. The shank 22 thereof is driven into the wall D at the juncture edges of the wall board panels B and C, and the initial driving being upon the somewhat convex cross-head of the staple directly above the major shank 22, will drive the lat:

for into the wall D, and asthe minor shanks 17 enter the wall board panels B and C, the cross head of the T-shaped staple will be defiected into substantially a right angled relation with respect to the axis of the major shank. This insures a true driving of the shanks into the wall without liability of angular deflection. The fact that the convex surfaces of the cross pieces 15 of the shank face downwardly insures an easy driving into the wall boards B and C.

It is of course understood that the finished staple A has its shank 22 pointed at 35, and this pointing may be provided prior to the connection of the staple parts 10 and 11, or after the welding at the freeends of the shank parts 14.

If desired, I may make the staple of a single piece of material, bending it intermediate its ends at the point 35, and providing the weld 21 above referred toat the location shown and above described. -This will eliminate the necessity of the s at weld 20.

The staple or securing evice, incident to its specific formation, may be driven to the extent where its exposed head surface is flush with the surface of the wall board. This permits of the use of a filler of plaster between the two wall board sections, and painting or finishing on the walls may be carried out in such manner as to conceal the fastening element entirely. It is of course understood that the material of the shank is bendable without fracture,and that the head pieces 15 may flex into .the position shown in Figure 4 from the position of parts shown in Figure 1, without rupture of parts.

Various changes in the shape, size, arrangement of parts, and different steps in the method of formation of the improved staple may be madefto the form shown, and the steps mentioned in describing the method, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim.

I claim: As an article ofmanufacture a wall board attaching staple of substantially T-shaped formation includinga major inserting shank and an nrcuate head secured intermediate its ends to the top of the shank with the head curving downwardly from the-top of the 2 shank at opposite sides of the shank, minor 

